Handheld printing device connectable to a mobile unit

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to a handheld printing device ( 1 ) having a print head for printing a printout on a printout surface. The handheld printing device ( 1 ) comprises an interface for mechanical and electrical connection to a handheld mobile unit ( 9 ) capable of communicating with other units for information retrieval. The entire unit, including the handheld mobile unit ( 9 ) and the connected handheld printing device ( 1 ) is manually steered over said printout surface with the aid of one or more positioning sensors disposed in the printing device  1  and co-operating with a micro controller circuit. Thereby information retrieved by the mobile unit, or stored therein, can be printed by said printing device ( 1 ). The invention also relates to a handheld mobile unit ( 9 ) connectable to said handheld printing device ( 1 ).

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a handheld printing device and a handheldmobile unit connectable to such a handheld printing device, of the kindapparent from the attached claims 1 and 11 respectively.

The invention thus relates to printing of information retrieved by amobile unit, the printing being performed by a handheld printing device.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

There is an ever increasing need and desire amongst people to bereachable wherever they are. In this increasing wireless communicationtrend, access to the Internet from mobile terminals is a popularfeature. People want to be able to surf the Internet on the theirjourney to work, on the bus or in short, at all times and wherever theyare.

A situation that may occur when surfing the Internet, is that the userwishes to print a web site, or parts of it, for example an address to arestaurant that the user has found when surfing the Web. It is today notfeasible to perform such a printing process for a user moving around,since the smallest printers of today are not small enough to be anattractive option to a user. They are simply too big and clumsy to bebrought along.

There are indeed handheld printing devices, see for example U.S. Pat.No. 5,927,872 or U.S. Pat. No. 6,233,368. These handheld printingdevices can however not be used in order to print information retrievedelsewhere, for example from the Internet. These handheld printingdevices are thus not an option for a user who wishes to be able to bringalong a printer for printing information in the form of images and/ortext, wherever he or she is.

Thus there exists a need to provide a handheld printing device that isconnectable to a mobile unit, for example a cellular phone, for printinginformation retrieved by the mobile unit.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to provide a handheld printingdevice including means for connection to a mobile unit, such as a mobileradio communication unit, or the like, in order to enable the printingof information retrieved by the mobile unit or stored therein.

This object is achieved, according to a first aspect of the invention,by a printing device as claimed in claim 1.

In accordance with one embodiment of the handheld printing deviceaccording to the present invention, the information retrieved isinformation from the Internet, which enables a user to surf the Internetand print a desired web site, irrespective of where the user is located.

In accordance with another embodiment, the handheld printing deviceincludes a plug-in-unit for attachment to a mobile unit. This feature,i. e. the handheld printing device not being attached to the mobile unitin a permanent way, gives the user the choice of leaving the printingdevice at home if desired.

In accordance with yet another embodiment, the printing device uses thepower source of the mobile unit, when attached to it, enabling themanufacture of even smaller printing devices.

In accordance with a further embodiment of the printing device, securitymeasures are included in order to prohibit an unauthorised use of theprinting device.

In accordance with a still further embodiment, the printing deviceincludes circuitry for the transfer of information to a mobile unit.This feature makes it feasible to store information (images or text forexample) in the printing device, transfer this information to the mobileunit, which in turn may pass it on elsewhere, for example to theInternet.

In accordance with still another embodiment of the handheld printingdevice, the handheld printing device includes an interface for receptionof voice information that can be printed by the printing device. Thisvoice control enables a variety of features. A user may for exampledictate short words to be printed, which words may then be stored in amemory thereof.

In accordance with yet another embodiment of the handheld printingdevice, the handheld printing device includes an interface to a keyboardor some other input means, whereby information may be input by means ofthe keyboard and printed by the printing device.

According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided ahandheld mobile unit including an interface for mechanical andelectrical connection to a handheld printing device, as defined in claim11.

Further objects and embodiments of the present invention will becomeevident from the following description.

The invention will now be explained further below, by way of examples,with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1 a-d show different views of an embodiment of the handheldprinting device according to the present invention, the FIGS. 1 a and 1b being partially cut away for clarity.

FIGS. 2 a-b show how a printing device according to the presentinvention is connectable to a mobile unit.

FIG. 3 shows a printing device according to the invention connected to amobile unit.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

With reference to FIG. 1 a, the integrated handheld printing device 1comprises a housing 2, which can be made of for example plastic, metalor any other suitable material. A light material is preferred in orderto reduce the weight, since the handheld printing device 1 is intendedto be highly portable.

The printing device 1 also comprises a print head 3, which could be forexample an ordinary ink jet printer, where several nozzles under theinfluence of computer controlled electrical signals eject tiny inkdrops, which then build up a predetermined pattern. Alternatively, abubble jet print head could be used or any other suitable print head.The housing 2 has an opening at one end where the print head 3 issituated in order to enable free flow of the ink onto a printoutsurface.

The printing device 1 further comprises sensors 4 for sensing theposition of the print head 3. If optosensors are used, thecharacteristics of a printout surface can be sensed and thereby, withthe aid of a microprocessor 5, a determination of the position of theprint head 3, the speed, acceleration and direction and/or otherparameters can be accomplished. In FIG. 1 a the handheld printing device1 is shown to include two sensors 4. However, one sensor 4 only isenough, since generally only linear movements need to be sensed. Thesensors 4 are situated at the open end of the housing 2, where they areable to determine the current position of the print head 3.

A microprocessor 5 is also, as mentioned, included within the housing 2.The main task of the microprocessor 5 is to control the function of theprinting head 3. The microprocessor 5 preferably includes a memory (notshown) for storing information retrieved by some means. The memory couldalso contain information a priori.

The printing device 1 also includes a power supply 7, e.g. an ordinarybattery, for feeding the handheld printing device 1 with electric power.Alternatively, the handheld printing device 1 is fed from an adjacentdevice, a mobile unit for example, to which it is connected.

The handheld unit 1 is connectable to a mobile unit by means of aninterface 8, which preferably includes mechanical coupling means as wellas electrical contact means in order to enable the exchange ofinformation with the mobile unit. The interface 8 is preferably astandard plug-in interface for connection to a mobile unit.

FIGS. 2 a-b show how the handheld printing device 1 is connected to amobile unit 9. As explained in connection with FIGS. 1 a-d, theinterface 8 to a mobile unit 9 includes means for both mechanical andelectrical connection. As can be seen in FIGS. 2 a-b, the handheld unit1 is small and can thus conveniently be brought along and be used inmany situations. A user just steers the entire combined handheld unit,consisting of the printing device 1 and the mobile unit 9, by hand overthe surface to be printed on.

The handheld printing device 1 includes means for exchanging informationwith the mobile unit 9. The mobile unit 9 may, as is known in the art,retrieve information from many sources, for example the Internet, over amobile communication network. A user may thus receive information bymeans of the mobile unit 9, connect the mobile unit 9 to a handheldprinting device 1, and then print this information by means of thehandheld printing device 1.

If the printing device 1 contains a memory, information stored thereincan be transferred to the mobile unit 9 via the interface 8. The mobileunit 9 may in turn transmit this information over the mobilecommunications network (if the mobile unit 9 is a cellular phone) to adesired receiver. The handheld printing device 1 may be connectable to acomputer or the like, by means of which the memory may be updated oraltered in a convenient manner.

FIG. 3 shows the handheld printing device 1 connected to a mobile unit 9and printing a text “printing text”. The mobile unit 9 typicallyincludes a display 10, especially in case it is a cellular phone. Themobile unit 9 and the handheld printing device 1 may exchangeinformation, as explained above. This, together with the display 10,makes it possible to show the information to be printed, or partsthereof, before or even during the printing process. An image of thewhole printout page may be shown on the display 10, and a dynamicrectangle may visualise the movements of the print head 3 as the usermoves the handheld printing device 1 over a printout surface 11. Thisenables the user to see a dynamic image of the printout in progress (aportion of the picture to be printed). The dynamic image corresponds tothe picture in progress on the printing surface 11 both as regardsposition and scale.

In accordance with a further embodiment (not shown), the handheldprinting device 1 is provided with a corresponding display 10.

In accordance with another embodiment, the handheld printing device 1includes means for preventing unauthorised use. This could for exampleconsist in connecting the handheld unit 1 to only a certain mobile unit9 (for example by means of the mobile equipment identity number, IMEI),thereby disabling the use of the handheld printing device 1 with anyother mobile unit 8. Consequently, if the mobile unit 9 is blocked, thehandheld printing device 1 is not either usable.

According to another embodiment, the handheld unit 1 is provided with aninterface for voice control or printing of voice information. This canbe seen as an alternative way to provide the handheld unit 1 withinformation to be printed.

A still further way to feed the handheld unit 1 with information is toprovide it with an interface for connection to a keyboard or some otherinput means, by means of which the user may input information to beprinted. The keyboard of the mobile unit 9 to which the printing device1 is connected, may of course serve as such information input means.

The handheld printing device 1 and the handheld mobile unit may in analternative embodiment be an all-in-one device, i.e. not constitutingtwo separable parts.

The mobile unit 9, to which the handheld printing device 1 isconnectable, need not be a mobile phone, as shown in FIGS. 2 a-b and 3.The mobile unit 9 could just as well be, for example, a PDA (PersonalDigital Assistant) (not shown). A user may in that case retrieveinformation from a memory of the PDA and then print it when desired.

1. A handheld printing device (1) having a print head (3) for printingon a printout surface (11) characterised in that the printing device (1)comprises an interface (8) for mechanical and electrical connection ofthe printing device (1) to A handheld mobile unit (9) having means forinformation retrieval, and in that the entire unit, including thehandheld mobile unit (9) and the connected printing device (1) with theprint head (3), is manually steerable over said printout surface (11)with the aid of A micro controller circuit (5) being electricallyconnected to said handheld mobile unit (9), whereby informationretrieved by the handheld mobile unit (9), or stored therein, can beprinted by said printing device (1).
 2. Printing device as claimed inclaim 1, characterised in that said micro controller circuit (5) isconnected to at least one positioning sensor (4) disposed in theprinting device (1).
 3. Printing device as claimed in claim 1,characterised in that said mobile unit (9) is a mobile radiocommunication unit.
 4. Printing device as claimed in claim 3,characterised in that the mobile radio communication unit retrievesinformation from the internet, which information is printed by saidprinting device (1).
 5. Printing device as claimed in claim 1,characterised in that the printing device (1) includes a plug-in-unitfor attachment of the printing device (1) to the mobile unit (9). 6.Printing device as claimed in claim 5, characterised in that theprinting device (1), when plugged in, utilises a power source of themobile unit (9).
 7. Printing device as claimed in claim 1, characterisedin that the printing device (1) includes a security measure comprisingthe printing device (1) being usable only with an authorised mobile unit(9).
 8. Printing device as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that theprinting device (1) includes circuitry for transfer of information tothe mobile unit (9).
 9. Printing device as claimed in claim 1,characterised in that the printing device (1) comprises an interface forreception of voice information that can be printed by the printingdevice (1).
 10. Printing device as claimed in claim 1, characterised inthat the printing device (1) comprises an interface for reception ofinformation input by a keyboard, which information can be printed by theprinting device (1).
 11. A handheld mobile unit for informationretrieval, characterised in that the handheld mobile unit (9) comprisesan interface (8) for mechanical and electrical connection to a handheldprinting device (1) as defined in claim
 1. 12. Handheld mobile unit asclaimed in claim 11, characterised in that the handheld mobile unit (9)is capable of communicating with other units for information retrieval.13. Handheld mobile unit as claimed in claim 11, characterised in thatthe handheld mobile unit (9) comprises circuitry for exchanginginformation with the printing device (1).
 14. Handheld mobile unit asclaimed in claim 13, characterised in that the handheld mobile unit (9)is capable of showing, on a display (10) of the mobile unit, at eachmoment a portion of said printout corresponding in position to theprintout in progress.
 15. Handheld mobile unit as claimed in claim 14,characterised in that said portion of said printout is shown in a windowon said display (10), said portion being the portion located underneaththe print head (3) and its close vicinity.
 16. Handheld mobile unit asclaimed in claim 14, characterised in that a whole printout page (11) isrepresented on the display (10), and that a dynamic rectanglevisualising the print head (3) moves over the display (10) as the usermoves the printing device (1) over said printout page (11).
 17. Handheldmobile unit as claimed in claim 11, characterised in that the handheldmobile unit (9) comprises an interface for reception of voiceinformation that can be printed by the printing device (1).
 18. Handheldmobile unit as claimed in claim 11, characterised in that the handheldmobile unit (9) comprises an interface for reception of informationinput by a keyboard, which information can be printed by the printingdevice (1).
 19. Handheld mobile unit as claimed in claim 11,characterised in that said handheld mobile unit (9) is a mobile radiocommunication unit.
 20. Handheld mobile unit as claimed in claim 11,characterised in that said handheld mobile unit (9) is a PersonalDigital Assistant (PDA).
 21. Handheld mobile unit as claimed in claim11, characterised in that the mobile unit (9) and the printing device(1) are combined into an all-in-one device.
 22. Handheld mobile unit asclaimed in claim 11, characterised in that the mobile unit (9) and theprinting device (1) form two separable parts.